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Enzo’s Dragon Pearl jasmine green tea is the green tea for people who think green tea tastes bitter. I put far more than the one teaspoon the box calls for into my cup, steeped it a couple of minutes, and it still came out smooth, light, and floral. One ingredient, hand-rolled pearls, low caffeine per the meter on the box. A few cups in, I’d buy it again.
Enzo sent me this to try. Green tea and I are on uneasy terms: not always, but often enough, it comes out with that sharp, bitter edge and I stop wanting the second half of the cup. Then I overpoured, mostly because I wanted to look at the pearls again, and waited to see if it would punish me.
Quick Verdict
- Buy it if: you want a smooth, lightly floral green tea that won’t turn bitter on you, with a small caffeine lift instead of a big one
- Skip it if: you want a bold tea, or you’re not up for loose leaf and an infuser
- My favorite feature: I put in way too much and it still wasn’t bitter.
- Would I buy again? Yes
What makes Dragon Pearl tea different from bagged jasmine green tea?
The pearls. Each one is a few green tea leaves hand-rolled into a tight little ball, and the box says they’re scented with real jasmine, not flavored with it. Open the box and the pearls look like something you’d find in a jar at an apothecary. I tipped a few onto a wooden spoon and said “tea balls” out loud, because I’m a professional.
Bagged jasmine tea, even the good kind, is chopped leaf with flowers folded through. This is the whole leaf, rolled up and left alone to unroll in your cup.
Enzo Dragon Pearl Organic Jasmine Green Tea, 4 oz
Hand-rolled, jasmine-scented green tea pearls with one ingredient, and a puzzle piece in every box.
Enzo Dragon Pearl jasmine tea specs
- Ingredient: Jasmine scented green tea, and nothing else
- Form: Hand-rolled loose pearls
- Size: 4 oz (113 g)
- Directions: One teaspoon per cup of hot water, steep 2 to 3 minutes
- Caffeine: Low, per the box
- Box claims: USDA organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, no chemicals, handmade
Who should buy Enzo jasmine green tea pearls?
Anyone who likes the idea of green tea more than the last cup they had. If you’ve been burned by bitterness, this is the one to try before you give up on the category. It’s also for the afternoon-cup crowd: a small lift instead of a big one, without the wired feeling.
It’s not for anyone who wants a bold, in-your-face tea, and it’s not for anyone who wants to tear open a bag and go. This is my second Enzo tea after the Caribbean Rhapsody rum raisin, which is a very different kind of cup. If you want a flavored black tea instead, the OSULLOC fig chocolate is the one I’d point you at.
What happened when I used way too much?
The box says one teaspoon. I grabbed a little spoon we’re going to call a teaspoon, loaded it, then loaded it again because I wanted to see the pearls one more time. Into an empty tea bag, into hot water, and I walked away for a couple of minutes.
The color barely changed, which surprised me given how much tea was in there. The smell was lovely. And the taste had none of the bite I was braced for. Smooth, light, jasmine up front, green tea somewhere behind it being polite. With that much leaf, a lot of green teas would have been undrinkable. This one was just a slightly stronger version of good.
Three things in the box besides tea
- A puzzle piece: every box has one, with a little card explaining you collect them across bags to hit milestones and win rewards. I have one piece. I’m irrationally invested.
- A strength gauge: a printed meter on the package showing how much of a buzz to expect, and it reads low. Small thing, but I’d like every tea to do it.
- A sealed inner bag: the pearls aren’t loose in the box, they’re in their own sealed pouch, so the fancy box is for looks and the freshness is handled separately.
What I liked
- Forgiving. Overpour it and it’s still smooth.
- The pearls themselves. Tea balls. I’m not over it.
What to know before buying
- Nothing to brew with comes in the box. You need an infuser, a teapot with a basket, or empty fill-your-own tea bags.
- The jasmine is light, not bold. If you want your tea to announce itself, look at a spiced blend instead.
Questions I’d have googled before buying
How much Enzo Dragon Pearl tea do you use per cup?
The box says one teaspoon of pearls per cup of hot water, steeped 2 to 3 minutes. I used well over that and it was still smooth, so the number is a floor, not a warning.
Does Enzo jasmine pearl tea taste bitter?
No. That was the whole test for me, and it passed even overpoured. The jasmine is light and the green tea behind it stays soft.
How much caffeine is in Enzo Dragon Pearl tea?
Low, according to the caffeine meter printed on the package. It’s still green tea, so it isn’t caffeine-free, but it’s the kind of cup I’d have in the afternoon for a small lift.
Do you need an infuser for jasmine pearls?
Yes, or something like one. The pearls are loose, so use a tea infuser, a pot with a basket, or fill-your-own paper tea bags, which is what I did.
What is dragon pearl tea?
Green tea leaves hand-rolled into small tight balls and scented with jasmine blossoms, so the leaves carry the flower’s aroma without any added flavoring. Enzo’s box lists a single ingredient: jasmine scented green tea.
Other jasmine green teas to compare
- Rishi Tea Jasmine Pearls Green Tea: The same idea from a bigger tea brand, hand-rolled pearls in a 4 oz bag. Its directions run stronger than Enzo’s, 1.5 tablespoons to 12 oz of water at 175°F, and it calls for a second steep of the same leaves.
- Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl Jasmine Tea: Hand-rolled jasmine pearls in a 4 oz decorative tin instead of a box and pouch. Pick it if you want the tin on the counter and a name your tea-snob friend will recognize.
- Numi Organic Jasmine Green Tea Bags: Bagged, 18 to a box, scented three times with real jasmine flowers. The tear-open-a-bag option if loose pearls are the deal breaker.
Would I buy Enzo Dragon Pearl tea again?
Yes. I’ve had a few more cups since filming and it’s going in the fall and winter tea section, which is where the teas I reach for live.
If green tea has let you down before, start here.
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